Pei Zhiyan looked at her for a moment, then smiled slightly. "There isn’t much for you to do in my residence. From now on, you can come to the study to read. Finish at least one volume every two months."
Under Ren Yaoqi’s astonished gaze, he leisurely added, "I’ll test you from time to time. If you aren’t diligent… I’ll have you do other tasks instead."
When Ren Yaoqi first heard this strange "assignment," she was utterly bewildered. Had this man asked Eunuch Lu for her just so she could read in the study? But confusion aside, Ren Yaoqi feared Pei Zhiyan might change his mind and assign her "other tasks," so she immediately agreed.
From then on, Ren Yaoqi arrived punctually at the study every day at mao hour to read. She took a break for lunch and rest at noon, then returned to the study until you hour. After dinner in her own courtyard, she would continue reading by lamplight for another hour.
She dared not slack off. Compared to "other tasks," she much preferred spending her days in the study with books.
Sometimes Pei Zhiyan would also be in the study, though most of the time he would either be lying on the soft couch reading or sitting at the desk writing. Ren Yaoqi never took the initiative to approach him. She sat quietly by the qin table near the west wall, often without even lifting her head. Pei Zhiyan paid her no mind either. He never again asked her to grind ink or fetch tea or water.
He never interfered with which book she chose to read, allowing her to pick freely from the shelves in his study. Ren Yaoqi felt her presence in the Pei household was minimal. She moved only between the study and her small courtyard, rarely encountering others. Over time, she grew more at ease in the Pei residence. During her stay, she had discreetly inquired and learned that Lord Pei had been deeply devoted to his late wife, never taking concubines or maidservants. After his wife’s passing, he had no intention of remarrying. She began to think that perhaps Pei Zhiyan had brought her back on a mere whim.
Through their time together, Ren Yaoqi discovered that Pei Zhiyan was truly a laid-back and casual person. For instance, he would lie down if he could, sit if he couldn’t lie down, and stand only as a last resort. His favorite way to read was reclining on the soft couch in the study. If he could write while lying down, Ren Yaoqi believed he would never bother moving to the desk. Pei Zhiyan had none of the scholar’s emphasis on "standing like a pine, sitting like a bell."
Out of curiosity, Ren Yaoqi once secretly tried sitting on his soft couch. She found that, though firmer than most, it was exceptionally comfortable. However, she only dared to do so that one time. Apart from the books in the study, she never touched any of Pei Zhiyan’s belongings. The drawers and chests in his study were unlocked, yet she never took advantage of his absence to snoop through them. Back at home, her favorite pastime had been rummaging through her father’s study drawers and chests—until one day she stumbled upon an exquisitely illustrated book of erotic art.She thought that someone with such a lazy disposition was merely making an offhand remark about checking her reading, so although she continued to go to the study every day, regardless of wind, frost, rain, or snow, she didn’t take Pei Zhiyan’s words seriously. It wasn’t until she had been reading in the study for two consecutive months that Pei Zhiyan called her over.
"What books have you read these past two months?" Pei Zhiyan was still reclining on the soft couch. When he asked this, his eyes were lowered, appearing utterly indifferent.
"Miscellaneous Records of a Western Journey, Annals of the Taiping Era, and Collected Works on Statecraft," Ren Yaoqi replied softly, her head bowed.
Reading three books in two months—Ren Yaoqi felt she had already put in great effort. After all, Pei Zhiyan had previously only required her to read one book in two months, so she answered without any guilt. Since childhood, her memory had been exceptional; she read quickly and could retain about eighty to ninety percent of the content.
Pei Zhiyan didn’t even lift his head, turning a page of the book in his hand as he casually asked, "In the ninth chapter of Miscellaneous Records of a Western Journey, eight women of different appearances are mentioned. What is the name of the one wearing red clothes, where does she live, and how old is she?"
Upon hearing this, Ren Yaoqi stared blankly at Pei Zhiyan, utterly dumbfounded.
What kind of nonsensical questions were these?
After a long while without hearing her reply, Pei Zhiyan spared her a glance and said leisurely, "What’s wrong? Can’t answer? Then—"
Startled, Ren Yaoqi quickly interjected, "Wait, that girl seems to be called Qin Jiumiang. She lives… she lives in Daotian Village. As for her age…" Ren Yaoqi furrowed her brows, thinking hard for a long time. She prided herself on having a good memory, but she still couldn’t recall the book mentioning the red-clothed girl’s age.
That miscellany was essentially a travelogue, with each chapter being quite short. The ninth chapter Pei Zhiyan mentioned was only four pages long, and most characters were mentioned in just a sentence or two. For Ren Yaoqi to roughly remember the name of a minor character who appeared only once was already a testament to her extraordinary memory.
At that time, Ren Yaoqi was still young. Because she had been clever since childhood and learned everything faster than others, she had never struggled with reading or writing. Pei Zhiyan’s question seemed deliberately designed to challenge her, so she couldn’t help but feel a bit indignant. However, as she was under his roof, her tone and demeanor remained respectful: "Please forgive my dullness, sir. I truly don’t recall the book mentioning that red-clothed girl’s age. I humbly ask for your guidance."
This was the first time Ren Yaoqi had addressed Pei Zhiyan as "sir," and it carried a hint of defiance and sarcasm. At the time, she didn’t know that by casually calling him that, she would become a fellow disciple of the current emperor.
Pei Zhiyan studied her for a moment before suddenly smiling. In a gentle, instructive tone, he asked, "Doesn’t the book mention that the year she was born, Xingyuan Prefecture was suffering from a famine?"
Ren Yaoqi frowned and thought for a moment. It seemed there really was such a mention, so she nodded. "It is indeed mentioned."
Pei Zhiyan then asked, "At the beginning of the book, it says that Scholar Zhang set out from the capital in the third year of Qinglong. Because he traveled leisurely along the way and fell ill when he reached Jinzhou, it took him a full two years to travel from the capital to Lizhou in Qingyuan Prefecture. So, in which year did he pass by Daotian Village, located in Lizhou?"
Ren Yaoqi paused, hesitating slightly. "It was the fifth year of Qinglong, but..."Pei Zhiyan ignored her defense and continued, "Since that Qin Jiuniang has reached the age where she blushes at the sight of grown men and is still a substitute bride, her age should be between ten and twenty. The year of her birth would fall somewhere between the fifteenth and twenty-fifth years of the Zhengqing era. During that period, only the twentieth year of Zhengqing saw a drought in Lizhou, Qingyuan Prefecture. Now, tell me again, how old is this Qin Jiuniang?"
Cold sweat broke out on Ren Yaoqi's forehead, and her voice grew strained as she replied, "Sixteen years old."
Pei Zhiyan finally nodded with satisfaction. "Correct, she is sixteen. Now, do you still insist the book never mentions this young lady's age?"
Ren Yaoqi fell silent.
Pei Zhiyan leaned back on the soft couch, studying her with a smile. "Still not convinced?"
Ren Yaoqi lowered her head. "I dare not..."
Pei Zhiyan tilted his head to look at her. "Because you have a good memory, you think reading is easy and lack reverence for books. If reading were truly that simple, then passing the imperial exams would be no harder than selecting a waiter in a teahouse or tavern. I hear skilled waiters not only memorize the menu but also remember the preferences and taboos of various customers."
Pei Zhiyan set down the book in his hand and straightened slightly. "When reading, you must think and reflect, learning to apply knowledge beyond the text, not merely memorize its contents. The value of reading lies not in quantity but in depth. Some people read all their lives yet never grasp the principles—it would be better not to waste that time and simply enjoy life instead. If you read only one book in your lifetime but gain insight from it, that is already a fine achievement."
As she listened, Ren Yaoqi's expression gradually grew serious. She finally understood that Pei Zhiyan was correcting her approach to reading. Previously, fearing he might think her lazy, she had read several books hastily without much thought. Unbeknownst to her, Pei Zhiyan had noticed and posed this tricky question to awaken her.
This time, Ren Yaoqi bowed her head sincerely and respectfully. "Yes, sir, I understand my mistake."
Pei Zhiyan looked up at her. "What was the mistake?"
Ren Yaoqi replied earnestly, "I bit off more than I could chew. Even the two months you gave me to finish one book was already too rushed."
Finally satisfied, Pei Zhiyan leaned back to read his own book, speaking in a casual tone. "You are teachable! Reread Miscellaneous Notes on the Western Journey, Annals of Taiping, and Collected Works on Statecraft three more times from the beginning. In three months, I will examine you again."
Ren Yaoqi lowered her head in acknowledgment and was about to return to the qin table to read when Pei Zhiyan added, "However, since you did not satisfy me today..."
Hearing this, Ren Yaoqi couldn't help but stiffen slightly.
Pei Zhiyan paused, as if thinking for a moment before continuing, "You are hereby punished to clean the study for three months."
Ren Yaoqi breathed a sigh of relief, almost joyfully accepting the punishment.
From then on, Pei Zhiyan inexplicably became her true teacher. He allowed her to read freely for two years, examining her every two months. There were no rewards for good answers, but failing to answer meant being assigned various chores. Ren Yaoqi even weeded the garden at one point.After two years of such free-range grazing, Pei Zhiyan gradually began to let her choose her own books while also assigning her some specific titles. However, Ren Yaoqi only enjoyed reading travelogues, unofficial histories, and books about the amusing aspects of city life. She wasn’t very interested in other types of books.
Once, Pei Zhiyan assigned her to read Records of Renowned Ministers and Their Governance, but she simply couldn’t get through it. When questioned about it, her answers were completely off-topic. Pei Zhiyan was displeased, and without thinking, she retorted, “I’m not trying to become the top scholar in the imperial exams—why should I read this stuff!”
Pei Zhiyan didn’t get angry. Instead, he lazily waved his hand and punished her by making her clean the chamber pots.
With just one sentence, Pei Zhiyan made Ren Yaoqi back down: “I am the teacher, and you are the student. In matters of learning, what I say goes. If you don’t like this way of interacting, shall we try another?”
Ren Yaoqi decided it was better to go back and properly read Records of Renowned Ministers and Their Governance...
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